Four players to watch

A week ago, Aaron Murray and Georgia's other quarterbacks performed in a spring scrimmage before some players' family members and select others.

The redshirt freshman described it as "the deadest I've heard Sanford Stadium."

There won't be 92,000-plus there today for G-Day like there will be on Saturdays this fall, but the Bulldogs' quarterback competition faces its biggest stage before a crowd that could check in at around a quarter of that size.

Murray expects his parents and sister, his high school coach and some friends to travel from Tampa for the annual intrasquad game that marks the end of spring practice.

The next time Murray plays before fans there, he could be the Bulldogs' starting quarterback.

Coaches will at least provide a quarterback pecking order after spring practice. They have tried to give the players equal repetitions in practice.

"I'm going through that, making sure I go through the playbook and make sure I know everything to a T," Murray said. "The more you study, the more it's all in your brain. I don't want to forget things. Nothing can hurt you with studying 10 or 15 minutes before you go to bed."

The homework has paid off in the two scrimmages so far this spring.

Murray has completed 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards with two TDs and two INTs, but coach Mark Richt liked what he saw from all three candidates last week.

"Any of those three can do it, man," receiver Tavarres King said. "I feel comfortable with any of those three back there. ... They all can sling the rock."

2. WR Kris Durham

After sitting out last fall because of a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Kris Durham is making noise this spring.

Again.

He caught three touchdowns in a scrimmage last week, which might have been his best spring showing since he had six catches for 137 yards and a pair of TDs in the 2007 G-Day game.

Not to date him.

The fifth-year senior may be student-teaching at Oconee Middle School, but he still has a role as a savvy veteran leader on the team.

"He fits in perfectly," sophomore receiver Marlon Brown said. "If I'm going to practice and something happens, he says, 'Well I remember when I was a freshman.' "

Someone stepped on his foot in a practice and Hamilton played through some pain for a practice or two.

He's ending the spring as a leading contender for a starting safety spot alongside Bacarri Rambo.

"Right now, we're really connecting together," Hamilton said. "Right now, we're really ready to see what the season is going to be like and the rest of this spring."

Spring practices end today, but the transfer from Georgia Military College won't stop trying to pick up all he can this summer on the Bulldogs' defense.

Secondary coach Scott Lakatos says Hamilton has a real passion for playing the game.

"He's always around, always in the office, always looking to watch film or get a pop quiz or figure out what's going in the next day or what he needs to improve on," Lakatos said. "All those guys now understand things they need to improve on and they have questions they want answered before the next practice."

Lakatos has tried several different combinations at safety this spring, getting quality work for other safeties, including Nick Williams and Shawn Williams

"I'm still making mistakes now, but that's why you practice," Hamilton said. "I've got the rest of this spring and the rest of the summer."

4. OLB Cornelius Washington

Don't expect Cornelius Washington to be able to fly through 100 meters like he did at Burke County High School.

The redshirt sophomore has added about 35 pounds since arriving on campus.

But while he might not be able to run as fast as he did on the track back in 2007 when he finished fifth in the state, "I feel like my field speed hasn't changed too much," he said.

That's the kind of speed that Georgia hopes Washington shows at outside linebacker.

Washington now has 260 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame and still has plenty of speed to come off the edge in new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's 3-4 scheme.

"We all have our fair share of plays where we all get a chance to get to the quarterback," said Washington, a defensive end last season.

Washington, who had four sacks and 15 quarterback pressures last year, is still rushing with his hand on the ground at times and dropping into coverage at times to cover short pass routes.

"They love to blitz and they line up a lot differently than what we're used to," quarterback Logan Gray said of the looks the Bulldogs have shown in their new scheme. "They just bring a lot of different stuff."